What If Chance
by TheDragonSDG
Summary: What if chance had Candy meet Albert on board the ship on the way to England? - Short AU story.
1. Chapter 1

What if chance had Candy meet _Albert_ on board the ship on the way to England? This idea hit me and this is the short story that came out.

This is, of course, an AU, what-if kind of fling, with all due respect to the Terry canon. I was very hesitant to upload it here, because I was warned that some fans might flame me. But then again, my good friend and beta-reader supported me and urged me to share it. So... here I go.

Disclaimer: I do not own Candy Candy.

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><p><strong>What if chance...<strong>

**Candy**

The New Year's party was going wonderful. Traveling luxury class over the Atlantic certainly had its advantages. Candy was feeling like a princess. And how could she not, she was an Ardlay on her way to England, to London. She would give her best to study and be a real lady. For Great Uncle William's sake. And for Anthony's.

After her second glass of champagne though, Candy decided that the bubbly drink had gotten a little too much hold on her. She needed some fresh air in order to stop making a fool of herself in front of all those high class people. She politely excused herself from George, put on her coat, found the closest exit to the deck and walked towards it.

The crisp ocean air did help. Taking a deep breath of it, Candy felt refreshed. It was a beautiful clear night, the waves passing calmly by the ship, the stars shining up above. A smile formed on her lips and stayed there.

There was no one else on that part of the deck. Everyone was enjoying the New Year's Party inside. Candy's smile broadened as an idea formed in her mind. She would walk all the way to the front of the ship to enjoy the view alone. Perfect!

Along the way though, way up front, Candy stopped. A figure, a man judging from his long dark grey coat, collar turned upwards, was leaning against the bulwarks, alone, gazing out to the ocean.

She walked silently towards him. And some feet away, she froze on the spot.

"Anthony?..." she almost gasped.

For a few moments, she actually believed it was Anthony, her heart racing. Blond hair and a bit of his face visible, his back half turned to her. But after the initial shock, reality hit her. It couldn't be Anthony.

"No... No, he's not Anthony..." she thought. "He is blond yes, but much taller. And he looks older too."

A part of her mind also processed the obvious. He couldn't be Anthony because he was gone. She shivered and sighed.

The man turned in full profile then and her heart skipped. His expression was that of sadness, mouth set downwards. A few moments later, he raised one hand to wipe his eyes.

"Is he crying?..." Candy wondered. "Or is it just the cold night air?".

Just then, the man sighed, lowered his head, and with the corner of his eye caught sight of something, turning sharply to his left.

He noticed Candy.

Candy felt her heart skip yet another beat. The man's similarity to Anthony face on was striking. He was older yes, somewhere in his mid-twenties she would guess, but the blond hair, the -from what she could see- blue eyes, the shape of his features... If Anthony had reached this age, she bet he would have looked very much like him.

She fought the knot that formed in her throat.

The man regarded her first with surprise, then with a slight frown and then with a strange look on his face.

Swallowing hard and shaking her head to clear it, Candy blushed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I didn't mean to stare rudely at you... It's just that..." she trailed, "you reminded me of someone," she added sheepishly.

The man's expression softened and he smiled softly. "It's OK," he said in a low gentle voice.

Taking courage from his answer and noting the sad look in his eyes, Candy had to ask.

"Are you alright, sir? You seem a little sad, if you don't mind me saying."

The stranger's smile grew at her question, he blinked lowering his head and then looked away. After a couple of moments, he took a deep breath and turned his eyes back to her.

"Thank you for your kind concern, miss. I'll be alright," he almost whispered.

Candy nodded and shifted on her spot. She could tell that something was still saddening him, but he wasn't lying, he would be alright.

She should leave him alone, not impose anymore.

"Happy New Year then," she wished him with a smile and took a step back.

"You too," he genuinely smiled back

Candy turned on her heel and started to walk away, wondering why she suddenly felt warm. Not being able to stop herself, she cast one last look at the man over her shoulder, almost stumbling when she realized that he was still looking at her as well. From that distance, it was as if Anthony was staring back at her, his eyes shining.

Or was it maybe... the Prince of the Hill?

She had no idea where that thought had come from. She bit her lip.

"That's it, Candy, no champagne for you ever again..." she chided herself and hurried towards her cabin.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I'd love to read reviews. Reviews are a great honor. :-)

The second chapter, with Albert's point of view, to follow soon.

Thank you! :-)


	2. Chapter 2

The reviews I got made me grin so much, I decided to post the second chapter right away. Thank you!

And now to my favorite part. Albert's point of view. Don't you wonder why he looked sad and why he didn't reveal himself to Candy? :)

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><p><strong>What if chance... <strong>

**Albert**

Everyone was partying for the coming of the New Year. Everyone but him. He had stayed in his cabin, first reading some newspapers, then a book, then just staring up at the ceiling. Truth be told, he did not feel like partying anyway.

His mind wandered to the events of the year that passed. So many, so adverse. And two standing out more than all the others, one happy, one painful.

Candy's adoption. And Anthony's death.

A knot formed in his throat. Guilt washed over him. A celebration had ended up in tragedy. Why? Why have a fox hunt of all things to celebrate Candy's adoption? It could have been a large lunch party, or a dinner dance. Why a fox hunt? Because it was a custom that the Ardlay's had not honored in years? Because some elders had missed it?

He sighed and shook his head. Bottom line was, it had caused his nephew's life. His sister's only child died because of it. It was as simple as that.

Rubbing his sore neck, he took one look around and decided he had enough of that environment. The cabin was spacious yes, first class, second upper deck, (not luxurious, he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself), but at that moment it was suffocating him.

He decided to go for a walk, clear his head a bit. He put on his coat and went out. Walking towards the front of the ship, he took the steps up towards the upper deck. Soon he was in his favorite spot, way front, almost above the anchor. Turning his colar to the cold night air, he leaned on the bulwarks and sighed.

The ship was leisurely sailing towards Southampton harbor, gliding through the waves under a clear, starry sky. It was a calm, beautiful night.

This would be his second time to London. He had studied there years ago, under the pseudonym Albert Williams. Aunt Elroy didn't want anyone to suspect that he was the head of the Ardlay family, not yet, so she (well, George really) had arranged all kinds of forged papers, making him the son of some other aristocratic American family. He still had those papers and still traveled under that name.

"_If I cannot be with the one I love, I will forsake even the Ardlay name."_

Rosemary's words sprang to his mind. Her renouncing the family name for the love of Vincent Brown. And then, her baby son. The reconciliation with Aunt Elroy. The happy years. The happy times oh so long ago.

And then...

"_Rosemary?... Rosemary, wake up... ROSEMARY!"_

Albert closed his eyes. He could sense the feeling of complete loss that had washed over him as sharp as it had been then. The pain had softened, but that moment, the memory of shaking his sister in disbelief, still hurt like a knife.

Curiously, when George had informed him, pale and stiffer than usual, of Anthony's death, at first he had felt just... empty. Numb. He couldn't believe it. And then the pain came, accompanied with an overwhelming sense of guilt. His sister had left just one child... and he had organized his death.

"_It's not your fault, William. It's no ones fault." _

Both George and Vincent had told him that. But it didn't comfort him, not one bit.

Tears welled in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his head and wiped them off with one finger. At that moment, he noticed something at the corner of his eye and turned to his left.

And saw her. Candy, staring at him. His young friend. His protegee.

The girl who suffered over Anthony's death in her own unique way.

Albert froze for a moment. Had she recognized him, clean shaven and combed as he was now? He had even left his sunglasses behind. He did look quite different from the scruffy "pirate" she knew.

Did he want her to recognize him?

"I'm sorry," the girl mumbled, shaking her head, obviously flustered. "I didn't mean to stare rudely at you... It's just that..." she trailed, "you reminded me of someone," she added sheepishly.

So she didn't recognize him. Good. He wasn't sure he wanted her too. It would bring too many questions and he was not prepared to answer them.

He gave her a smile to calm her. "It's OK," he kept his voice low.

Candy seemed to brighten a bit, relieved. Then a thought seemed to cross her mind.

"Are you alright, sir? You seem a little sad, if you don't mind me saying."

Albert had to really smile at that. Leave it to sweet little Candy to care about anyone, even a stranger like he seemed to be. His mind flew nine years in the past, when he had comforted her. The sobbing little girl, the girl with such soul-deep tears in her eyes.

Was he looking now as sad as she had back then?

He took a deep breath. "Thank you for your kind concern, miss. I'll be alright," he whispered, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

Candy shifted shyly and after a moment, she seemed to come to a decision.

"Happy New Year then," she wished him with a warm smile and took a step back.

"You too," he genuinely smiled back.

She turned on her heel and started to walk away from him. He lowered his eyes for a while, remembering her fright when she first met him, the memory lifting his spirits up.

"Thank you, Candy," he thought after her retreating form.

And just then, she turned over her shoulder and their eyes met again for a moment.

"Till we meet again," he silently told her.

The girl seemed to bite her lip and then hurried off. Typical sweet Candy.

"No more tears, Albert..." he told himself. "No more tears."

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><p><strong>Author's Notes: <strong>

- With all due respect to Mizuki-san, Albert is always blond to me. Changing his hair color makes no sense, whether he dyed it or left it alone.

- Turning his collar up hid Albert's longish hair, making him look almost exactly like short-haired Anthony.

- Thank you to my beta-reader for her beautiful translations of the "Candy Candy Final Story" novel. I base Albert's POV on that novel.

Just asking: Would you like a couple more one-shots of Candy and Albert going over this encounter? I've thought of one with amnesiac Albert and one when Candy knows who he is. I will keep them short again, leaving all other characters aside. What do you say?

Thank you :-)


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